Shattered Together
by LovedLik3WildFire
Summary: Tris is Factionless. Instead of Dauntless excitement, she is left to watch the train make it's rounds in the back allies of the Factionless Sector. But what happens when she gets curious and comes face to face with Tobias Eaton - Dauntless Transfer, Abnegation Born? Life goes from difficult to complicated real quick. Takes place one year after the Choosing Ceremony. No war - yet.
1. Chapter 1

Tris kicked at a pebble next to her foot, as she watched the train pass by for the millionth time. She liked to watch it in the afternoons, because that was when she could see the Dauntless. Some of them would be hanging out of the train – as if they were going to fall any moment; others remained inside, but were too far in to see. Part of her longed to be with them, but the longing wouldn't remain for too much time. She had made her choice – or rather, the choice was made for her. Her life was with the Factionless.

After choosing Dauntless a year ago, she never would have imagined being factionless. Wouldn't you know after years of restlessness in Abnegation, a simple train ride would decide her fate? Tris had watched the Dauntless jump on and off the train a thousand times, so it should have been a breeze. But her small frame and little muscle tone made hoping up into the car impossible. She can still remember watching the faces of the other Dauntless transfers and member slowly disappear into the distance, as she stood on the platform all alone.

Now, she lived in one of the many abandoned buildings closest to the Amity Compound.

The sound of footsteps behind her caused her to stand up quickly, and hide herself in the shadow of the alleyway. She wasn't afraid of who it was – no, she had gotten used to these people deemed unworthy by society. She simply was preparing herself for what may come. On more than one occasion, she had seen a Factionless member attack their own kind for something as small as an article of clothing or piece of bread. Thoughts of helping the Factionless with her mother flooded through her mind, and the ache for her company returned.

Tris was certain that her parents knew she was Factionless. Of course they knew – they were Abnegation and Abnegation knew everything about the Factionless. It was one of the reasons she chose to live in a sector far away from the Abnegation Compound. There were other reasons as well, but she didn't care to think about them.

"Tris, is that you?"

Tris stepped out from the shadows at the sound of Margaret's voice. Margaret Hemmings was the only person who welcomed her when she arrived in this area of town. When people found out she had been Abnegation, no one wanted anything to do with her. Yes, Abnegation helped the Factionless a great deal, but there was still animosity between the two groups. There was only so much you could do for a person who had nothing – especially when you had everything. That was the vibe between them, and no amount of charity was going to heal that wound.

"Yeah, Margaret; it's me."

She smiled at her friend and held out her hand. "I snagged you a can of chicken soup. Someone just left it for the taking."

Tris smiled softly, taking the can from her hand. "Thank you – I haven't eaten in a while." In fact, she hadn't eaten in about two days. The thick soup slid down her throat with ease, warming her body despite being ice cold. A shiver of delight coursed through her – a sign her body was drinking in the nourishment.

"Are you watching the Train again?"

She nodded. "Old habits die hard."

Margaret shook her head and sat down next to her. "You shouldn't torture yourself like that – why don't you just ride it around the city and put yourself at ease?"

Tris shook her head before eating her last bit of soup. "I don't do it because I wish I were Dauntless." She paused when Margaret gave her an unbelieving look. "Okay, maybe I wish I was Dauntless a little bit, but really, there's much more to it than that."

She wasn't lying by saying that, either. The Train signified much more to her than her tumble into the Factionless. It gave her hope that, when everything was falling apart, this was constant. The Train made it's rounds every single day, without fail. If only other things in life could be like that. Suddenly, the second part of her friend's comment struck her. It never occurred to Tris to ride the train – even if just for one circle around the city. She always saw the train as a part of the Faction system, and off limits to her kind. But the idea of riding it grew more appealing in her mind as the moments passed.

"Thanks," She said, throwing the can into a nearby dumpster. Maybe she would ride the train, just to prove she could.

* * *

Natalie Prior sat at the kitchen table, drawing invisible marks on it's surface. The image of her daughter popped into her mind, and a pool of sadness spread through her. It would be almost a year since she found out her daughter became Factionless. The pain from that day still haunted her like a fresh nightmare.

She had been standing in the kitchen, folding laundry when something caught her eye. Sitting on the counter top, propped up against the back wall, was an envelope. It was off white with no markings on either side of it. Her Dauntless bravery had gotten the best of her, and she ripped it open without her husband. As her eyes scanned the page, she felt something akin to a knife being shoved through her heart. The leaders of Dauntless had just informed her that her

daughter, Beatrice Prior, had failed initiation and was Factionless. The emotions which tumbled through her were powerful. Anger – at the Dauntless for being so cruel as to just throw away her daughter's future. Fear – at the reception Beatrice would receive from the Factionless. Joy – Natalie would see her daughter again. That last emotion caused a wave of guilt to wash over her. She never wanted either of her children to become Factionless, but with what she knew about the Faction system, she knew it was the best place for Beatrice. Divergent's needed to remain under the radar anyway, and being a member of the Factionless was the perfect place to do just that.

Natalie hadn't needed to see her daughter's test results to know she was Divergent. From the time she was a little girl, she knew. There was a struggle going on inside Beatrice that only a mother could see. She knew she was trying her best to selfless, like the Abnegation idolized, but the evidence was there. Moments of selfishness so small, no normal person would notice, mixed with moments of curiosity, honesty, and bravery, were the perfect Divergent cocktail.

"Natalie, are you alright?"

She looked up from the table to see her husband, Andrew, standing before her. She smiled softly and walked over to him, taking his hand. "I'm fine, dear."

He smiled and looked around before wrapping his arms around her. "You are a terrible liar. Always have been."

She sighed before smiling weakly. "I miss her, Andrew."

"Me too, sweetheart; me too."

They stood there like that for awhile, just holding onto one another. Affection like this was a rarity in Abnegation. Even married couples kept physical contact to a minimum, and when Caleb and Beatrice were still living at home, both Natalie and Andrew stuck to the rule. But it was always just a show. Their love for one another was stronger than it ever had been, and enjoyed being near one another – holding hands, kissing, and being overall love struck. Now that their kids were gone, they could let loose and just be themselves.

"Hey Nat," Andrew whispered, putting his lips to her ear. "Let's go see her."

Natalie giggled a moment before focusing on what he said. "Can we?!"

He kissed her softly before nodding, and pulling her over to a corner of the house, where the camera's couldn't see. What most people didn't know is that cameras were hidden

all around Chicago – not just outside, but in the houses as well. Once they were out of view of the camera, he smiled wildly.

"I wanted to surprise you, but I can't contain myself," He whispered. "I found her about a week ago, in one of the Factionless sections on the other side of town."

Her eyes widened with joy before she pulled him into an excited embrace. "You did?! Oh Andrew, we're finally going to see her again. Praise God!"

He laughed at his wife's joy. "The quickest way to get there is by train, but we'll need to go at night."

She nodded. "Of course."

A look of uncertainty suddenly clouded his face. "There's just one problem."

"What?"

"I've no idea how to hop onto a moving train."

Natalie laughed and kissed him softly. "Don't worry; I can take care of that."

* * *

 **Hello Lovelies!**

 **It was only a matter of time before I started a "Divergent" fanfiction. The scene is set with Tris being Factionless. Yes, Factionless. She chose Dauntless, just as she did in the series, but unfortunately, she missed the jump. And we all know what that means when you can't get on the Train. Anyway, this is one year after her missed jump.**

 **I can't wait to get this series going and dig deeper into the plot and the characters. Hopefully you all are as excited as I am!**

 **God bless,**

 **LovedLik3WildFire**


	2. Chapter 2

Four leaned against the railing overlooking the chasm. Water splashed against the rock, spraying a mist upward. He felt the mist tickle at his hands, causing the cuts on his hands to sting slightly. It had been a long day of fighting and watching the fights. This year's group of initiates was an interesting one – every single person was from Candor. There has never been a time, that he could think of anyway, where all the transfers were from one faction. And with them all adjusting from their Candor lifestyle to Dauntless, there was a lot of speaking out of turn.

This year, Four and Zeke were the Dauntless members training the initiates – Four with the transfers, and Zeke with the Dauntless born. Four had been surprised to see that Eric wasn't training the initiates this year. He had been so determined to do it last year, that he expected nothing less now. But with Max stepping down as their leader, it made sense. Eric was power hungry after all.

"If you jump, I am not cleaning up your guts."

Four turned to see Zeke coming toward him. His eyes were bloodshot, but he still possessed that signature look of excitement. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

Zeke stood next to him, leaning his back against the railing. "What are you doing up so late? Shouldn't you be resting after all that fighting you did today – and I don't mean the physical."

He nodded. The transfers really gave him a hard time today, arguing and trying to show their dominance. He had discovered long ago that you could take the person out of their original faction, but you couldn't take the faction out of the person. Yes, you could adjust your thoughts and beliefs to mimic your new faction, but your old faction was still a part of you. Getting the new Candor transfers to think and act more like Dauntless was proving to be quite a challenge.

"They have quite the big mouths, those Candor." He said nonchalantly.

"Let's just say I'm glad I'm not training the transfers."

The two men stood there and talked a little while, until Zeke decided to hit the hay. Tomorrow night the two groups of initiates were going to play capture the flag. Last year, the Dauntless born lost, and he had something to prove. Four didn't care much who won this year – in fact, losing to Zeke didn't seem like such a terrible idea. If he won, he was sure his friend would moan about it.

After a few more minutes looking into the chasm, Four decided it was time for bed. It didn't take him long to get ready, and by the time his head hit the pillow, he was asleep. Sleep was something that used to be a mix of sorrow and pain. When he lived with his Father in Abnegation, his dreams would be plagued with either the image of his mother or more beatings. It took his mind quite some time to adjust to his new Dauntless life in the way of dreams, but now, he rarely had nightmares.

Except for tonight.

This dream was quite unusual, as he found himself standing on the rooftop of the Dauntless compound. Around him, the wind whipped and howled, giving the whole scene an eerie feel. Looking down, Four realized he wasn't just standing on the roof of the compound, but rather on the very edge, where the new transfers entered for the first time. He knew there was a net at the bottom, but being so high up still frightened him. Giving one last look around, he closed his eyes and simply let the weight of his body push him off the edge. He waited for the net to cradle him, but it never did. He just kept falling.

Shooting up in bed, he looked over at the clock and realized breakfast had already end. Groaning, he rushed over to his bathroom and quickly fixed his hair. He was still in the same clothing as yesterday, but that didn't matter. Everyone always wore black anyway, so it

wouldn't be noticeable. Thoughts of his dream kept poking at his mind until he reached the training room.

It didn't make sense to him, why he would have such an unusual dream. Maybe the stress of the last week or so was just making his mind go crazy – he didn't know. But whatever it was, it wasn't as important as getting these transfers into shape, both physically and mentally. If he didn't, Four was certain their would be no hope for any of them.

* * *

Tris rolled over on her side and looked up at the windows lining the warehouse. They allowed light to trickle through in the mornings and that had become her alarm clock, but tonight, she had woken up rather early. A few yards away, laying on a makeshift mattress of old newspapers and torn up clothing, lay Margaret and her sister.

Margaret was born Factionless, as was her mother and father. She had two younger siblings – Allie and Amy; twin girls who were both born blind. Unfortunately, Allie had died suddenly one night, from what they suspected was malnutrition. So, Margaret took special care of Amy, giving her extra portions of food and the best places to sleep. At first, Tris couldn't understand how someone who was born Factionless could be so selfless. Surely, she belonged in Abnegation. But as the months went one, she began to realize something. The Factions did not enhance the virtues they prized – they suffocated them.

Erudite coveted knowledge so much that they forsook what knowledge needed to most – wisdom. Candor desired honesty above all else, while disregarding love and respect. Amity isolated themselves inside peace and love, ignoring the need to fight for what is right. Dauntless prized bravery, while throwing away common sense. And lastly, Abnegation so longed for selflessness, they destroyed the beauty of individuality. This was one of the main reasons she believed being Factionless had turned out to be a blessing, rather than a curse.

The sound of the wind outside stirred Tris from her thoughts, and forced her to come back to reality. It had been two weeks since her conversation with Margaret, and her mind thought of nothing else but riding the train. Something seemed to stop her though, and she wasn't sure what it was. Fear wasn't a part of the equation, at least not in the sense of terror. She didn't know what she would find by hopping on that train, but it couldn't be any worse than not knowing.

Getting up, she threw her hair into a ponytail and made her way outside. The sound of the train in the distance caused her to turn toward it. Without even thinking about it, she found herself jogging toward the rails, picking up speed as she went. Several thoughts of doubt crept into her mind as she began climbing up – Was this a good idea? What if someone from another

faction caught her? What if she missed the jump, again? These thoughts disappeared though as Tris saw the Train speed toward her. She began jogging again, this time looking back every so often. It didn't take long for the first couple of compartments to whizz by her. Thankfully, the third compartment door was open – odd – and she lunged for the handle. With the grace of a beached whale, Tris tumbled into the car, landing on her side. A small groan escaped her lips, as she sat up and edged away from the door.

"I did it," She whispered, looking around at the abandoned car. "I did it!"

Leaning against the wall, she sighed and titled her head back. Closing her eyes, she listened for a few moments to the Train cutting through the wind. The realization of what she had just done really began to sink in, and she stood up. Tris hesitated slightly, before grabbing onto the handle on the inside of the door and leaning out. The wind shoved her back in, but she was determined to persevere. Trying once more, she adjusted her weight to take the full force of the wind. It took her a moment, but Tris was finally able to lean out and look at the city.

Though it was still dark outside – very early morning, to be precise – she could still see the city she called home. On the Train, it looked like something surreal, as if she wasn't a part of the life that went on here, but rather a spectator on the sidelines. The crumbling building looked like giants, watching over the smaller buildings – with Erudite Headquarters being the largest of them all. The lights were still on there, which was odd, but Tris was too enamored with the view to question it.

She was also too enamored to notice the figure sitting in the far corner of the train car, watching her.

* * *

 **Hello Lovelies!**

 **There's chapter two four you...See what I did there? ;D**

 **I'm really enjoying writing this story, and I can't wait to dig deeper into Tris and Tobias's relationship. Hopefully, you all enjoyed this latest chapter and the third one will be up soon!**

 **God bless,**

 **LovedLik3WildFire**


	3. Chapter 3

Four couldn't believe it when he saw her hop – okay, tumble – onto the Train. Riding the Train had become a habit for him his first year as a Dauntless member. It was the one place where he could think without the noise and distractions usually surrounding him. So, when he got on the Train this night, he never imagined he wouldn't be alone.

During the second pass around the City, he could have sworn he saw something flash onto the tracks. He decided it was just a trick of the moonlight, and went to sit in the darkest corner of the car. But when he heard the signature thud of a body landing inside the car, he knew he hadn't been seeing things.

Four remained absolutely still as he watched the figure before him. Their frame was small – far too small, he thought – and from what he could see, they were dressed in a mish-mash of clothing. Factionless popped into his mind and shock coursed through him. The Factionless never rode the Train – it was unofficial property of the Faction System, and they knew it.

The person shifted around a moment, trying to find their bearings. When they stood up, he caught a glimpse of the person's face in the moonlight. It was a young woman around the age of seventeen, he guessed. She was as small as he thought, with dirty blonde hair and small features. He was amazed she even made it onto the Train, with the little to no muscle tone she had.

Four watched in even more amazement as she began to speak.

"I did it...I did it!"

There was exhilaration in her voice, as if she had been dreaming of this moment for a long time. Coming from Abnegation, he had had contact with the Factionless on many occasions, but he had never seen a Factionless member with so much...spirit. Though streaks of dirt covered her face, her eyes were bright and when she spoke, her voice was hopeful.

He had been so preoccupied with how different she was from other Factionless, he never saw her step back into the car and turn in his direction. A small gasp altered him to her knowledge of his presence. Immediately, his Dauntless instincts told him to question her presence here and use force if necessary. But Four knew he wouldn't do that, because the Abnegation side of him was stronger. Yes, he was brave by Dauntless standards, but he knew selflessness was just as ingrained in his very being.

Getting up from his sitting position, he stepped into the light, so she could see him better. "What are you doing?" His voice was harsher than he had intended, but what could he do now?

The girl before him fidgeted slightly, but never once broke eye contact. "That's a silly question."

His eyes widened. _Brave girl._ "Fine, I'll rephrase. What are you doing here?"

She hesitated before moving closer to the open door; her hair, once in a neat ponytail, now flew around her face as the wind picked up. "I decided I wanted to ride the Train."

Her answer was nonchalant, but he knew better. No one did anything without a hidden motive; his Father had taught him that. "So you just decided one moment, 'I'm going to hop on the train and go for a spin'?"

She nodded, but didn't speak. Instead, she turned toward the door and leaned out once more, letting the wind force her body to one side. It was as if their short conversation never happened and she picked up where she left off – gazing upon the city, feeling the wind caress her face. Irritation flooded his heart. Didn't she know how foolish she was being? The Factionless had no protector in this city. Abnegation may have dedicated their lives to helping them, but other than some food and clothing, they didn't provide much. Getting on this train without thought of the consequences was ridiculous. If she had come in contact with someone other than him – say, Eric – she'd be dead.

"What's your name?" Four finally asked after the silence was becoming heavy.

She turned toward him and gave him an uncertain look. "Tris."

He nodded and took a step toward her, which caused panic to flash in her eyes for a brief moment. _Good, she could use some fear in her mind. It will serve her well, if handled properly._ "Well, Tris, I suggest you get off this Train at your stop and never get back on."

Her eyes flashed with anger. "Why?"

"Because it's safer that way."

The anger subsided slightly, but she still looked irritated. "I didn't know Dauntless treasured safety so much."

Now anger flared in his eyes and he knew what to do next. In one swift motion, he pulled her back inside the train and grabbed the knife at his side. Pushing her up against the wall, he put the knife to her throat, being careful not to injure her. The anger in her eyes disappeared completely, being replaced by fear. Four could feel her stiffen up under his hand.

"I'm not going to say it again: Stay off the train. Next time, you may meet a Dauntless who isn't so concerned with your safety."

Tris nodded but didn't say anything. He had decided he'd scared her enough, hopefully. He truly didn't want to see her here again, but something about her was intriguing. Here was a Factionless girl, who looked like she couldn't beat up a cardboard box, standing toe to toe with him, as if they were equals. This was the kind of bravery Dauntless needed to regain, He thought, Not this reckless anger nonsense.

As he took a step back from her, he watched as the anger flared in her eyes again and he couldn't help but smirk. She moved over to the open door and peered out. Her body was still ridged – obviously still startled by her encounter with him. He watched in more amusement as she assessed how she would exit the Train. _Hadn't thought of that, had you?_ With as much grace as she enter – which wasn't much – she jumped. He moved toward the door and peered out. His eyes only caught a glimpse of her brushing the dust of her shirt and running into the shadows.

"Don't come back, Factionless Girl." He whispered before returning to his dark corner. "Please, don't come back."

* * *

Tris returned to her spot in the warehouse, and sat down on her flattened cardboard box. Margaret was still asleep next to her sister, and it looked as if nothing had changed since she had left. Judging by the sun beginning to peek over the horizon, she had been gone an hour – tops. Yet, it felt like she had been gone years.

The image of the Dauntless man flashed through her mind for the thousandth time. His face was hard set like flint, yet his eyes were soft. Even in the moonlight, Tris could see he was incredibly strong. How silly she had been! She had been so keen on getting on that Train that she never imagined meeting someone – let alone a Dauntless. She could have been seriously injured, or worse. A shudder coursed through her at the thought. And even though every inclination of her mind said never return to that train car, her heart said something different.

 _Because it's safer that way._ Suddenly, His words echoed through her as confusion filled her mind. She had never met a Dauntless who was concerned with the safety of anyone, let alone someone from the Factionless. Weren't they all reckless abandon and insanity? Apparently, she had misjudged them...or at least him.

Tris's hand came up to her neck and she let out a nervous laugh. He had pinned her against the wall, and put a knife to her throat. Okay, maybe she didn't completely misjudge him.

The sound of a soft groan filled her ears, pulling her from her thoughts. Margaret sat up, careful not to disturb her sister. She looked over at Tris and smiled.

"Morning."

She nodded once. "Good morning."

A worried look cross her friend's face. "You like you had a rough night."

Panic surged through Tris's heart, but she quickly calmed herself down. Margaret couldn't know the insanity of the past hour – surely, she couldn't. Doing her best to sound indifferent, she shrugged her shoulders and said she was up early, and didn't end up falling asleep again. This seemed to satisfy her for the moment, and she turned her attention to Amy, who was beginning to stir.

The thought of spilling the beans to Margaret seemed appealing. They were good friends, and these were the sort of secrets you shared with a friend. Yet a part of Tris wanted to keep the last hour completely to herself – like a special treasure meant only for her. Being Factionless didn't lend itself to privacy of any kind, as you relied on the help of others for survival; so, this was unusual being faced with a decision like this. Looking over at Margaret, who was helping her sister get ready for the day, she made the decision almost immediately.

The Train ride and the mysterious encounter with the Dauntless man would be her little secret.


	4. Chapter 4

Natalie smiled while passing out the meals to the Factionless. Every Thursday, she and her husband spent the afternoon doing what they could for those without a Faction. Sometimes that meant passing out food and clothing, other times it was just keeping them company. Her heart ached for these people and the turmoil society had thrown them into. A flare of anger flashed in her heart as she passed two small children, covered in dirt and shivering from the cold. How could people be so cruel, as to deny a child the basic needs of life?

Pausing in front of them, Natalie did something an Abnegation woman never did. She peeled off her coat, and handed it to the mother of the children. "To keep them warm."

The surprise in the mother's eyes was evident. "Thank you...thank you so much."

She nodded before walking over to her husband. He looked down at her bare arms and raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

He chuckled softly, before peeling off his own coat and wrapping it around her shoulders. "My wife – the rebel." Leaning toward her slightly, he smirked. "I always liked that side of you."

She blushed before laughing softly, and continuing on with passing out the food. They remained in the Factionless sector another hour or so before returning home. The sun was starting to sink closer to the horizon and thoughts of Beatrice flashed through her mind. Would she be warm tonight, wherever she was?

Andrew must have recognized that look of worry on her face, because he came over to her and kissed her forehead. "She'll be fine, Nat. Beatrice is a strong girl."

Natalie hesitated slightly before responding. "Did you decide on a day?"

He nodded before sitting down at the kitchen table. "Tomorrow evening – I've heard rumors of Dauntless soldiers patrolling the various sectors of the Factionless. Apparently, it's a new rule someone thought would keep the rest of the city safe." He rolled his eyes at this. "The patrols start Monday, so tomorrow will be our only chance."

Panic gripped her heart a moment, but she pushed it aside. "Did you gather the items I asked you to?"

"Yes, but I wasn't sure about the sizes."

She laughed softly. "I don't think Beatrice would have grown that much, Andrew."

He shrugged, grinning. "You're probably right."

Natalie sat down across from him, taking his hands. "You're nervous; I can tell."

There was a paused before he responded. "What if she wants nothing to do with me? The look I gave her at the Choosing ceremony..."

"No; don't you do that. Beatrice loves you, and will understand you were just hurt. It's hard to watch your kids choose a life other than the one you'd hoped for them."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right..."

* * *

Four sighed as he watched two of his initiates shout at one another. He really hadn't been paying attention to them, so he wasn't sure what started the argument. All he knew was that it needed to stop.

"Enough!"

The two boys froze and looked over at Four. He could see the cocky smiles slide right off their faces, and if he were honest, it felt good instilling fear in them like that. Coming over to the larger of the two, he leaned in closely before looking around at the rest of them.

"Since it seems you all can do NOTHING but fight like small children, I'm changing the regime for today." He turned toward Jonathan – the largest initiate – pointed toward the mat. "Get up there."

"For what?"

Four smirked slightly, before hopping up himself. "Each of you will show me what you've learned this last week by fighting...with me."

The atmosphere suddenly changed from entitlement to anxiety. He was certain several of them were going to pass out, especially the smallest boy who hadn't won a single fight yet. Jonathan had finally made his way up to the mat, taking his stance. Immediately, Four could see the flaw that would break him. Though his arms were protecting his face, Jonathan left one small opening, leaving the left side of his jaw unprotected. It only took him a couple of punches to knock him over.

"Not as fantastic as you think you are," Four said, looking down at a cowering Jonathan before returning his attention back to the rest of them. "As for the rest of you, I suggest you leave behind that Candor cockiness or you'll never make it here. And there are only two options after that."

Stepping down from the mat, he stormed out of the training room. He usually didn't allow himself to succumb to his anger like that. Showing a lack of self control would never convince his trainees to listen to him, but right now, he didn't care. A thousand thoughts swirled in his head as he flung the door open to his room. Slamming it behind him, he sat down on the edge of the bed and ran a hand through his hair.

Today had been a long day, but it didn't compare to how his week had started. Though Four had chosen to train the initiates this year, he still worked in the control room at night – monitoring cameras, mostly. He had been there for years, and had learned several trade secrets. One of them being how to monitor certain cameras constantly without getting caught. The camera inside of Eric's office was his favorite.

It had started out as mere curiosity. How could Eric possibly enjoy sitting behind a desk most of his day? He was more of a "hands on" kind of dictator, than a passive leader. Much to Four's surprise though, he really did just sit behind his desk and fill out paperwork. At least until two days ago.

Wednesday night, he had checked the camera as usual and found everything in order. Just as he was about to move on to another camera, he noticed something. He had seen this footage before. It didn't take him long to pull up old footage from several weeks ago and compare it with what he was seeing now. From the papers on his desk right down to Eric leaning his left elbow on the edge of his chair, everything was the same. Four's heartbeat quickened.

Someone was looping the footage.

He compared the two videos just to make sure, but there was no denying it. This camera was no longer what went on the Dauntless Leader's office. Who could have altered the software on the computers to show only looped footage? And why would they do that?

A knock on his door shook Four from his thoughts.

"Come on in."

Shauna peeked her head inside. "You coming down for dinner?"

He looked over at his nightstand. It was already 5 o'clock. "Yeah, I'll be down in a minute."

"Heard you had quite a showdown in training this afternoon."

Four nodded. "Hopefully, it helped."

"If it didn't, you could always make them jump onto the train blindfolded."

He laughed before pulling the door open and walking into the hallway. "As tempting as that sounds, I would like at least one of my initiates to survive initiation."

Shauna shrugged, before turning and heading down for dinner. He followed behind, dodging the various people walking past him. Whatever was going on in Eric's office could wait until tomorrow. Right now, all Four wanted was a giant piece of Dauntless cake.

Or maybe two.

* * *

 **Hello Lovelies!**

 **Though I haven't updated in about a week (at least, I assume it's been a week), I am still working on this story. Sometimes, I write a few chapters before posting a new one. Chapters Five and Six should be coming fairly shortly, but until then, here's Four :)**

 **God bless,**

 **LovedLik3WildFire**


	5. Chapter 5

Tris heard the noise before she saw the fight. She rounded the corner quickly to see two Factionless fighting. One of them looked well fed for a Factionless, while the other looked on the brink of death. The smaller one clutched something small to his chest, but she couldn't tell what it was until she got closer. A small wave of pity washed through her as she realized it was bag of Abnegation food. Abnegation food was rather bland, but to find a bag of it in the Factionless sector was a blessing, as the Abnegation wasted nothing.

"Hey!" She yelled, running up to the two men just as the larger one was about to throw another punch.

He turned to look at Tris, and her heartbeat quickened as she saw the look of lust in his eyes. "Beat it, little girl. This is none of your concern."

The fear in her throat stopped the words from coming out for a moment, but she pushed it aside and said her peace. "You're going to kill a man for one meal? God help you."

Anger flared in his eyes, and he turned his entire body toward her. The smaller man – who she now realized was an elderly man – scrambled to his feet and scurried away. Tris was thankful he was able to get away, but now she had to be concerned for her own safety. This could go one of two ways, and neither was a positive outcome. She had seen the look in this man's eyes before – only once. She had learned quickly that there were two type of hunger that ruled in the Factionless world. The lust for something...or the lust for someone.

"I think I've found something more exciting than food," He said, revealing a semi tooth grin.

Tris quickly looked around for an escape, but even if there was one, she would never make it. The man before her was twice her size and was evidently stronger than she. She continued to back up though and prayed she could buy enough time to keep his lust at bay. Just as she was able to speak, he lunged at her, pinning her against the wall. So much for buying her time. Tris struggled to push him away, as he pulled at her shirt. But that only seemed to encourage him.

"Stop! Please!" She yelled as loud as she could. It was no use – she was going to be victimized just like so many other Factionless girls were. Doing what she did the first time she realized she was Factionless, Tris emptied herself. She let her mind become blank and her heart become calloused. Oh, she would fight to keep this sicko from taking her, but she would do it robotically – without thought or feeling.

Suddenly, Tris felt the space in front of her change. The man was no longer clawing at her – he was lying on the ground a few feet away. Blood was running down the side of his face and his left eye began to swell. This didn't make sense. What had just happened? Looking around, she finally caught sight of him. Clad in his Dauntless black, with a look a sheer anger on his face was the man she met on the train last week. He lunged forward, picking up the Factionless man, and punched his swiftly in the stomach before dropping him to the ground again.

"If I find out you've come anywhere near another woman again, I will kill you." He said, looking down at him.

The Factionless man moaned a response, but Tris was too astounded by the presence of him to notice. What in the world was the Dauntless man doing here? No one besides the Abnegation ever came into the Factionless sector. And _no one_ stuck up for the Factionless the way he just did.

Tris's mind was so lost in thought that she never noticed he turned his attention to her. She jumped slightly when she saw his eyes on her, and immediately, she became self conscious. The shirt she had been wearing was torn in several different places, revealing part of her side and her right shoulder, stretching across her collarbone. Her hair was a mess, half up and half down. To top it all off, her eyes were slightly puffy from lack of sleep.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his eye surprisingly soft after just beating up a total stranger.

Tris eyed him slightly before responding. "What are you doing here?"

He sighed. "Did he hurt you?"

She looked down at her clothes, before looking back up at him, her eyes guarded. "I'm fine. What are you doing here?"

Something akin to amusement flashed through his eyes, but it was gone before she could comment on it. A cool breeze rushed past them, intensified by the buildings that surrounded them. A shiver went through Tris, and instinctively, she slouched her shoulders pulling herself inward, as if getting closer to herself would keep her warm. This simple motion caused Four standing before her to change. His face went from confident determination to uncertainty.

She watched as his faced slowly revealed the workings of his mind. His eyebrows knit together, before his mouth set itself in a hard line. His body tensed slightly, and she saw him move his arms, as if uncertain where to put them. Whatever thought or idea he was having, he gave into it. Slowly, he slid out of his jacket, revealing a tight fitting t-shirt underneath. Tris's eyes widened slightly, both at the gesture of what he was about to do and the line of his abs. _Wow._

"Here," He said, holding the jacket out to her. "You're going to freeze to death."

"I don't need -."

"Take it."

She stood there a moment, arms folded across her chest. Whatever he was trying to do, she didn't like it. Most people looked on the Factionless with pity. It annoyed her that people assumed she – and the rest of her "family" - weren't strong, when in fact, they were stronger than all the other Factions. It took brains to survive out here, not to mention brawn. While Tris lacked in the brawn department, she wasn't stupid. He most certainly was showing her this gesture of kindness to get something out of her. But what could a Dauntless soldier possibly want from a small, hungry Factionless girl like her?

"I don't need your help." Her voice was hard, set like flint.

He rolled his eyes. "For goodness sakes, Tris, just take the jacket."

He remembered her name, which was rather surprising. Maybe it was for this reason she decided to take his kind gesture at face value, or maybe it was something else. Out here, you needed to be able to read people – were they genuine in their desire to help you, or were they looking for something in return? Tris had learned to spot the difference rather quickly. Whatever motive this man had for helping her, it didn't seem to be one of selfishness, though her mind screamed otherwise.

"Thank you."

He nodded, before turning to go. Tris stopped him.

"Wait," She said, hesitating. "What's your name?"

"Tob -," He stopped as if the answer he was about to give was wrong. "Four. My name is Four."

 _What kind of name is that?_ "Thank you again, Four." This time she let him walk off, but not without getting one more word in.

"It's not safe here either."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello Lovelies!**

 **Here is Chapter Five! I enjoyed writing a chapter where Tobias comes to save the day :) Because, really, who wouldn't want to be saved by Tobias Eaton?**


	6. Chapter 6

"It's not safe here either."

Her words caused him to falter. The night he spoke those words to her flashed through his mind, and with all that had transpired now, they seemed foolish. Who was he to caution a Factionless girl on safety? She lived day in and day out in constant danger – large and small. The disgusting man he pulled off her was evidence of that.

Four leaned against the side of one of the buildings, letting the cool of the brick calm him down. The silence of the morning settled in around him, causing his thoughts to push themselves to the forefront of his mind.

He had come to this part of town to speak with his mother. It had been over six months since their last meeting, and she still looked at him like she loved him. The thought both repulsed him and gave him hope. The little boy huddled in the closet still longed for his Mother's love, while the Dauntless soldier wanted nothing to do with her. Regardless of how much he hated her, he knew he needed to warn her.

If the Dauntless were going to start patrolling the Factionless sector, they would need to be careful. No one could know of the cohesion among the Factionless, especially not the Dauntless. Someone would tell Eric and Eric, in turn, would tell his Erudite buddies. It would mean the death of all these innocent people, and Four couldn't bear that on his conscience.

Tris's face flooded into his mind, and he quickly blinked her away. The intrigue he had for this girl was ridiculous. She was just another Factionless, and he knew it – or, at least, he tried to convince himself of that. Visions of her body lying dead on the pavement sent shivers down his spine. If he couldn't save all the Factionless, then certainly saving her would be enough.

He peeked around the corner, to see if she was still standing there, but the alley was empty. Regret constricted his heart. He should have warned her of the oncoming Dauntless. He had been so quick to warn her on the train – what caused him to falter a few minutes ago? Maybe it was the sight of her, pushed up against the wall, struggling for freedom, that purged his mind. When he had come to see his mother, the thought of seeing Tris again didn't even cross his mind. There were so many Factionless sectors scattered around the city – she could live in any one of them. It was only when he heard the scream to stop did he realize he was closer to her than he ever imagined.

Four had acted purely on instinct – respond first and think later. His Dauntless training had taught him that lesson. The sight of the man clawing at her had sent his stomach lurching and his anger burning. It didn't take long to get to her, and pull them man off. But it wasn't until he had the man halfway to the ground did he realize who the girl was. A moment of panic gripped his heart, and then relief. If he had been minutes later in talking with his mother, he would have never been able to stop it from happening.

The sounds of people in the distance alerted him it was time to go. The Train was making it's rounds again, and Four was able to jump on just in the time. Smaller and smaller the buildings became until he was completely out of their view. The glass roof of the Dauntless compound shone brightly, reflecting the Sun's rays. If only the rest of the world could be so beautiful.

* * *

"Hey Tris, over here."

Margaret waved at her from the other side of the room. There were several groups of Factionless all scattered around their various corners of the room, with Margaret's group being the smallest. It consisted of Amy, herself, and a boy she didn't recognize. He was skinny, with bright red hair and piercing green eyes.

Tris sat down next to Amy and smiled. "What's for lunch?"

Margaret handed her a can. "Sorry, but it's chicken soup again."

She shrugged while taking a spoonful, and passing it over to the redhead. "It's alright; I like chicken soup anyway."

There was a lull in the conversation, which gave Tris time to process the events of the morning. Four's jacket still hung loosely on her, sending a shiver through her. If he had been several minutes later, there would have been nothing to do. It would have been over and done with, and she would have had to live with the physical and emotional scarring for the rest of her life. She whispered a thank you to God, and allowed her thoughts to move on to something else. What had he been doing in the Factionless sector? He had deviously avoided her question, giving her absolutely no hints. Frustration raced through her. How could he be so bossy as to tell her to stay off the Train, when he himself came into one of the most dangerous parts of the city?

"Where did you get that?"

Her thoughts were interrupted by Margaret's question. She looked at her friend, puzzled. "Get what?"

She laughed before pointing a finger at her chest. "That."

Tris looked down and realized she was talking about the jacket. "Oh, this? I...uh...it's a long story."

She eyed her suspiciously, but thankfully dropped the subject, moving on to something completely different. "Have you met Matthew?"

"No, I haven't." She said, extending her hand to the boy across from her. "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too."

Tris smirked slightly at how nervous he looked. Certainly, he must be newly Factionless. Anyone who has been here long doesn't look like that. They put on an air of confidence to show being Factionless hasn't changed them, though most of the time it has.

Margaret looked over at Matthew and smiled slightly, and Tris could tell what was going on. Though many found it hard to believe, the people in the Factionless sector lived life much like those with a Faction. They woke up every morning, played their part in this makeshift society, and went to bed at night. They lived, laughed, and loved just as hard as anyone. Marriages even happened on the rare occasion. Just because someone didn't have a Faction didn't mean they didn't feel. She could tell just by the way they interacted with one another, that Matthew and Margaret were going to end up together.

She leaned over to Amy, and whispered. "I think your sister is in love."

Amy giggled, but didn't say anything.

It was nice to think about something lovely for a change. She would keep an eye out on those two, to see if her prediction was correct. Margaret had lost so much, it was good that she found someone to share her heart with besides her sister. Eating one more bite of soup, she excused herself and made her way outside. The sun was high in the sky, giving the air some warmth. Tris went to take off the jacket Four had given her, but something stopped her. The jacket was worn, but still looked relatively new. It had been years since she had anything this nice. She wrapped her arms around herself and took a deep breath. The jacket smelled of the wind and a hint of something else – his cologne maybe?

So, despite her uncertainty about this man named Four and the warmth of the afternoon, she kept the jacket on. It made her feel safe, which is something she hadn't felt in a very long time.

* * *

There was an eerie silence inside the train, as Natalie and Andrew sat down. The only thing they could hear was the Train cutting through the wind. Natalie looked over at her husband and smiled. He looked incredibly nervous, so she reached over and took his hand. He smiled back at her, but it didn't touch his eyes.

"Relax, Andrew."

He didn't say anything for a few moments. "How do you think she'll react?"

"To seeing us?" She said, pausing a moment to consider her response. "I hope she'll be happy to see us, but I do think it will be quite a shock. This isn't something that is done usually."

He laughed nervously. "Yeah, we are kind of breaking the mold, aren't we?"

Natalie grinned, but let the conversation die off from there. It would only take a few more minutes to reach their destination, and she wanted some time to think. Sitting next to her were several articles of clothing, and some different types of food; all stored neatly in a backpack she had kept in the closet. Getting this into the Factionless sector wasn't going to be easy. She had seen how people responded when they were desperate for the essentials like food and water. God-willing, they could sneak in undetected and find Beatrice before anyone noticed they were there. Then, there was what to do when they found her.

Natalie knew what she wanted to do – grab her daughter and never let her go. But she knew it truly would be a shock for Beatrice to see the both of them. Especially her Father. Despite her assurances to her husband that all would be fine, she didn't know exactly how Beatrice would take seeing him again. It could go one of two ways, and she feared it wouldn't be the better of the two. How does a daughter react to seeing the Father whose last act was toward her was anger?

There wasn't any time to ponder it further, because the Train was just approaching the edge of the Factionless sector where Beatrice lived. She stood up quickly and brushed herself off, before grabbing the backpack and her husband's hand. Looking over at him, she gave one last smile.

"Are you ready?"

Andrew nodded, but still looked uncertain. "Ready as I will ever be."

She squeezed his hand and pulled him toward the opening of the Train. "On three, okay?" He simply nodded. "One...two...three!" And with that, they were flying out of their comfortable Abnegation world and into Beatrice's.

* * *

 **Hello Readers,**

 **I am so sorry that this is the first time I've updated in a while. A lot has been going on in my life lately, and writing has taken a back burner to everything else. But my heart longs for it like a desert longs for water. So, I'm here again and so happy to be. Hopefully, you all enjoyed this chapter. More are coming soon!**

 **God bless,**

 **LovedLik3WildFire**


	7. Chapter 7

The sight of them caused Tris's heart to stop. She had decided to stay up later than usual, occupying herself with her thoughts. There was something peaceful about the streets of the Factionless sector at night. The world was asleep, and it was as if the thing that divided them all fell away. Everyone was on equal footing in the stillness of the night. She had just turned the corner to head back to the warehouse where she slept, when she saw something. Two people jumped out of the Train that was passing, hitting the ground with a thud. Tris quickly hid herself from view, until the moonlight above revealed their faces.

Her Mom had an excited yet determined look on her face, while her Father looked like he was going to pass out. She thought that rather odd, since her Father was the strongest man she ever knew. They both looked around a moment before turning their backs to her and walking in the opposite direction. Her heart caught in her throat at the prospect of losing this opportunity. Tris acted quickly – and rather recklessly, considering it was the middle of the night. In one swift motion, she was back around the corner and headed right for them.

She had learned rather early how to keep her footfalls from making too much noise, so she was able to get incredibly close without being detected. Once she was about five or six feet away, she planted her feet on the ground and said the only thing she could think of.

"You're going the wrong way."

Both of them froze, but it was her Mother who turned around first. Though it was rather dark out, as the moon hid behind some clouds, Tris could tell she recognized her. Whatever her Mom was holding she dropped to the ground and bridged the gap between them. Her arms wrapped around her daughter, pulling her close to her chest. It had been so long since she had hugged her Mom that all she could do was cry. The tears came quick and fast, and she did her best to keep the sobs inside. But it was no use – they came more quickly than the tears did, and with ferocity Tris hadn't known in a long time.

"Shh..." Her Mom whispered, running a hand over her hair. "It's alright; we're here now."

Tris sobbed again. "You're here."

She pulled back and gently brushed a tear from her cheek. "Look at you – my daughter, the fighter."

This caused a laugh to escape her. "You have no idea."

Just then, Tris remembered it wasn't just her Mother who had come to see her. Looking over her shoulder, she found her Father standing a few feet away. A look of uncertainty passed across his face as their eyes met. She knew the reason it was there. That day at the Choosing Ceremony will forever be ingrained in her memory. The look of anger and disgust on her Father's face plagued her thoughts for months after becoming Factionless. Tris even began to harbor unforgiveness and anger in her heart for him as well. But seeing him standing here now left her nothing but joyful.

"Dad," She said softly, wrapping her arms around him much like her Mother had done with her. She felt him relax beneath her as he brought his arms around her.

"I've missed you," He whispered in her ear before pulling back. "God knows how much I've missed you."

"I'm not mad at you." She responded, still seeing some fear in his eyes. It dissipated at her words.

"I'm so sorry for how I reacted to your choice. It was your choice, after all. I had no right to -."

Tris cut him off. "You don't need to explain. You're here now – that's all that matters."

"We brought you some things," Her Mom interjected, grabbing the backpack and handing it to her. "Clothes and food."

She smiled, thinking of what she would do with this. "Thank you, Mom. This will go to good use." She paused a moment before looking around. "C'mon, let's go somewhere safer. I'd like you to meet some people."

With that, they made their way to Tris's warehouse. Everyone was asleep already – everyone except Margaret. The look of shock on her face when Tris introduced her to each of them was quite amusing. Margaret was nothing but kind, shaking both of their hands and pointing out her younger sister, who was already asleep. The night slowly drifted on from there, with talking and quiet laughter. It wasn't until the sun began to peek over the horizon did they realize how late it. Tris escorted her parents out of the warehouse.

"My sweet girl," Her Mom whispered as she hugged her. "I love you."

She smiled as she pulled back. "I love you too, Mom. I love you both. But I don't think you should come back here." The look on her Mom's face was heart breaking, but she continued onward anyway. "You know the rule: Faction before blood. If they catch you spending time with me, God only knows what they'll do to you. And I couldn't bear to be the reason you both were hurt."

Her Father smiled sadly, but nodded. "Beatrice is right, Sweetheart. We took a big risk coming here tonight, and while I wouldn't trade it for the world, it was dangerous. If we do this on a regular basis, people will start to notice. The wrong people."

Her Mom sighed, placing an arm gently on both of them. "When did you two become so much alike?"

Tris laughed softly before turning serious. "I will find a way to keep us together – you just need to give me some time. This won't be the last time you see me. It will only be the last time you see me here."

After a few more moments of discussion, they all agreed. Meeting together like this – in the middle of the night, in the Factionless sector – was far too risky for all of them. If they were going to continue to be a family, they would need to find another way. Tris had taken it upon herself to find a way to make this happen, but what could she do? She had no resources at her disposal and a no voice. An idea popped into her mind as she watched her Mom and Dad jump onto the moving Train. It was a crazy idea, but if she was ever going to see her family again, she would need to go through with it. And why waste time?

Tonight would be as good a time as ever to hop on the Train and hope Four was there to help her.

* * *

The Dauntless soldiers had just left to patrol the various Factionless sectors when Four decided to take the risk. It would only take them one Train ride around the city to find their positions, and for the rest of the night, the Train would be unoccupied. He could easily sneak onto it and spy on his fellow Dauntless. He needed to find some answers, and what better place to start than the source.

Grabbing the spare jacket in his room, Four made his way through the Chasm and out into the night. The sun was just dipping below the horizon, as the moon made it's appearance. There would be just enough light to see whether anyone was close enough to spot him. The cool air swirled around him as he looked for signs of life. Thankfully, he was alone.

Once Four hopped onto the Train, he thought about just how he was going to spy on the soldiers. He could go to each Factionless sector and figure out who was where. Some of the Dauntless soldiers were slackers, so he wouldn't have to worry about the sectors they patrolled. He was more concerned about the sector that Eric and his buddies patrolled. That would be the most dangerous.

As the Train came closer and closer to the Amity Farms, he decided to start with Tris's sector – that way, he could keep an eye out for her as well. He wasn't sure why he felt such a pull toward this girl who was little more than a stranger to him. Maybe it was the way she carried herself – with strength and confidence - despite her circumstances. Maybe he just felt obligated, now that he had already saved her once. Whatever the motivation was, he decided to let it guide his actions.

He rose from his seated position against the wall, and was just about to get off the Train when he saw her. The Train moved past her quickly, and he watched as Tris reached for the door handle, but missed. A hurricane of emotions coursed through him. What on earth was she doing here? Had she lost her mind? Moving toward the open door, he leaned out and grabbed her arm, pulling her up. The look of shock on her face didn't amuse him like it usually did, and the first thing he did when he steadied her was yell.

"Are you insane?"

She flinched slightly at his tone, but didn't say anything.

Four groaned and grabbed her arm, pulling her further into the Train car. "Do you have a death wish, or something? Off all the nights to go for a ride, you picked tonight!"

"What are you talking about?" She responded, finally finding her voice.

Realization dawned on him. He hadn't told her about the Dauntless soldiers, so how could she possibly know not to ride the Train tonight. A wave of guilt crashed over him. and he sighed. "Oh crap..."

Tris frown, crossing her arms. "Care you explain why you're screaming at me?"

He ran his right hand through his hair and sighed again. "I'm sorry, Tris. I shouldn't have yelled like that. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"Didn't you see them?" His voice still held an angry edge.

She hesitated slightly before answering. "You mean the Dauntless soldiers? Yes, I saw them. And I was going to ask you about that, but you didn't give me a chance to." She paused. "What are they doing here?"

He shrugged before sitting down again. "That's what I'm trying to figure out. I was going to spend the night spying on them, but I can't very well leave you here to fend for yourself."

Anger passed over her face. "I am fully capable of taking care of myself."

"I'm well aware of that, but there are certain people you wouldn't want to meet in the middle of the night. Trust me."

Tris sat down across from Four, crossing her legs. "Like who?"

He ignored her question with one of his own. "What are you doing here, anyway? I distinctly remember telling you not to ride the Train again."

She hesitated, which puzzled him. "I was, uh...I was hoping to find you."

"What?"

She sighed and looked past him at the wall. "I need your help."

"With what?"

With that, she dove right into the events of the last day. Four was shocked to see that her parents had the guts to visit her. Certainly, they couldn't be from Abnegation. No one there was foolish enough to mess with the rules set by the Founders. Candor, maybe, because of their brass. Definitely not Amity. He let his thoughts drift away from where she came from and back to the present. It didn't take him long to figure out why she wanted to find him. The love Tris had for her parents was obvious, and seeing them again for the first time in over a year only caused that love to grow stronger. But having her parents come to the Factionless sector at night was not only dangerous but reckless as well.

"Do you know of another way I can see them? Without the risk of someone finding out?"

Four shook his head. "There really isn't any safe way to see them. You really just need to find the least dangerous option."

She nodded as disappointment clouded her features. "I know. It was silly of me to hope otherwise."

Looking over at her, he smiled as an idea began to form. "I have an idea, but it's going to take some planning and a lot of bravery."

Her eyes lit up. "Tell me."

He laughed at her excitement. "First, I need to know what Faction you came from. Because if you came from Dauntless, this isn't going to work."

"I didn't come from Dauntless."

He noticed she didn't expand on her statement, but that didn't bother him too much. He had kept secrets his whole life, so he would respect her decision to keep her own. "Good. This may work then."

Four began detailing his plan, right down to the last point. Dauntless was quite a large faction, so not everyone knew each person there. You could easily sneak people in an out if they looked the part. With a little bit of ingenuity, he was going to pass off Tris and her parents as being part of Dauntless. He knew Shauna and Zeke wouldn't stop until they found out what he was doing, so he decided to include them in the plan. Shauna would get the clothes Tris and her parents needed, while Zeke would work on the tattoos and piercings. These would be fake, of course, but the Dauntless didn't need to know that.

"You and your parents can spend the night at the Dauntless compound, and leave early in the morning before anyone was the wiser."

Tris looked hesitant. "Are you sure this is going to work?"

To be honest, he wasn't certain it would work, but it was worth a shot. "As long as you look the part, and don't talk to anyone besides myself, everything should be fine."

A look of relief passed over her face, and Four felt his heart fill with happiness. It was nice to see Tris look so content, especially after the events of the last couple of weeks. They spent another fifteen minutes or so talking until the Train started to pass by Tris's home. Four knew if they spent any more time on the Train, the Dauntless soldiers would get on and then God only knows what would happen. He had a few ideas and all of them made him cringe.

Tris stopped as she leaned out the open doorway, and turned to look at him. She stared for a few moments before resolving to speak. "Why are you doing this?"

He stood up, a look of confusion on his face. "Doing what?"

She turned completely toward him now and took a step closer. "This. You've known me for a total of two weeks; we've only spoken several times; and I'm Factionless. What could you possibly have to gain from all this?"

Her question surprised him, and to be honest, he didn't have an answer for her. What was he doing here? How did his life go from "normal" Dauntless to this? Tris had turned away, but his eyes were still fixed on her. She looked so small in comparison to the world she lived in. Despite her ever present attitude of "I can take care of myself," Four knew she couldn't live that way forever. She needed someone – anyone – to call her bluff. He'd been in the very same boat when he first joined Dauntless, and he made plenty of mistakes because of it. So, while this relationship wouldn't make any sense to anyone else, he knew this is where he needed to be.

* * *

 **Hello lovelies!**

 **Hopefully, you all enjoyed this chapter. The amount of comments I got on the last chapter was quite surprising to me (a good surprise!). This chapter is one of the longest ones I've written for this story. If you're a writer, I'm sure you can understand the desire to just keep writing and writing...and writing. That's what happened to me here. :)**

 **Until next time!**

 **God bless,**

 **LovedLik3Wildfire**


	8. Chapter 8

His lack of response caused her heart to sink. Maybe this had been a bad idea after all. Tris had known this man for such a short period of time, yet she chose him over everyone else to spill her guts to; and now, he might be the worst choice out of all of them. Turning around, she could feel his eyes bore into the back of her. It sent a shiver of uncertainty down her spine, which she hoped he didn't notice. The air forced her back into the Train, but she was ready for it. Rather than fight it, she became a part of it and allowed it to carry her off the platform and onto solid ground. The Train quickly sped away and she ignored the urge to look back.

The sun was just getting ready to touch the horizon when she made it back to her cardboard slab. Much to her surprise, both Margaret and Matthew were missing. Tris smiled softly, knowing they were hidden somewhere together in the Factionless sector. Their bond was much stronger than she had first thought. It made sense though – people were much closer to one another here than in the Factions. They relied more on one another for their very survival, so it only made sense that Margaret would be off with her new love somewhere.

Suddenly, the reality of this evening hit her and her body became weighted with fatigue. Curling her arm to cradle her head, Tris closed her eyes and allowed sleep to wash over her. Much to her surprise, she slept well into the afternoon, and was only startled awake by some commotion outside. She sat up, her eyes squinting to adjust to the sunlight coming through the windows. It took her moment to adjust, but when she did, she noticed there were people outside. Getting up, she went to check it out. Her heart fell when she saw what was happening.

Some of the Abnegation had come all the way out here to help the Factionless. Her heart leapt at the thought of seeing her parents, but she knew they wouldn't be here. They wouldn't risk being exposed by helping their Factionless daughter. Faction before blood, after all. The expectation in her heart receded, and she sat down against one of the buildings. A petite Abnegation woman came up to her and sat down.

"Hello."

Tris smiled politely, but didn't feel like talking to anyone. "Hey."

"Would you like some food?" The woman said, holding out a factionless meal.

Of course I want some food. "Sure."

"I'm Maria," She said, placing the food in her hand.

Tris should have responded, but her hunger was far more powerful than her will to speak. She dug into the food like a wild beast, ignoring the obvious look of discomfort from her companion. It didn't take her long to finish off the meal, and she knew she would regret not eating slower. Her stomach wasn't going to appreciate all this food at one time. After polishing off the meal, she turned back to Maria.

"I'm Tris."

She hesitated slightly, which seemed odd. "Is that short for anything?"

She looked at her, curious. "Umm...yeah. Beatrice; it's short for Beatrice."

A look of shock passed over Maria's features. "Praise God. I can't believe it's you."

"Uh, I'm sorry, but do I know you?"

She smiled softly, before looking around to see if anyone was listening. "They want to see you again."

A wave of panic crashed over Tris. Was this a trick to get her to talk about her parents? If it was, then saying anything could get her parents into a lot of trouble. If it wasn't a trick, it was a miracle. She quickly weighed her options before making a decision. "I know. I want to see them too. Can you send them a message for me?"

"Of course," She whispered.

Tris leaned in slightly, so as not to be heard by anyone but Maria. "Tell them I have a plan, but it's a risky one. If they're willing to take the risk, have them meet me on the Train Friday evening."

Her eyes widened slightly. "The Train?"

The panic came back, but she pushed it away, knowing there was no turning back. "Yes, the Train. Trust me; I know what I'm doing. But make sure they get on the Train after the Dauntless soldiers get off."

Maria's eyes fell, but she nodded. "Alright."

With that, she rose and followed the rest of her Abnegation members toward another part of the sector. Excitement and anxiety coursed through her like blood. It was almost electric, the idea that this plan was in motion. Thoughts of Four came to her mind, and she prayed he would be able to keep his end of the bargain. He just had to.

* * *

"So, who is she?"

Four looked up at Zeke from across the table. It had been several days since meeting with Tris again, and hadn't stopped thinking about her. His offer to help her had been spur of the moment, and more than once he regretted his choice. But then he would remember the look of hope in her eyes and all regret would vanish.

"What are you talking about?"

Zeke laughed as Shauna sat down next to him. "Don't play dumb with me; I know when someone is thinking about a girl. I do it all the time."

Shauna punched him in the arm. "I hope it's only one."

He grinned, before taking her hand. "Naturally."

"Ugh," Four said, making a gagging noise. "You two make me sick."

"So," She said, smiling knowingly at him. "Who is she?"

He stared at both of them for a moment before going back to his piece of cake. This was the second slice he had today, and he was starting to regret his choices. Oh, the stuff was delicious – like a little slice of heaven. But too much of it could make a man sick. Four pushed the cake around his plate a moment before looking back up at them. He sighed, knowing they wouldn't let up until he spilled his guts.

"Come with me," He said, getting up.

Zeke frowned. "But what about my cake?"

Four rolled his eyes. "You wanna hear about her, or not?"

He grinned, pulling Shauna up with him. "C'mon, Shauna. We're going to get the juicy details."

Four led them out of the dining hall and through several corridors. He picked a place that had no view from the cameras, so they wouldn't been seen or heard. Turning toward them both, he let out a heavy sigh.

"This needs to stay between us. If you so much as speak a word to anyone, I swear..."

Zeke laughed. "Alright, alright. We get it; you'll beat us to death and leave us for the wolves. Now, spill."

"Her name is Tris, but it's not what you think."

Shauna smirked. "Oh, really?"

He sighed again. _This wasn't going to be easy._ "Yes, really."

With that, Four gave them as many details as he thought necessary. Shauna was tasked with getting the clothing and accessories that would conceal Tris and her parents as anything but Dauntless. Zeke was tasked with getting the tattoos. This was going to be a little more difficult, because very few Dauntless did anything but jump right into getting tattoos. No one ever said, "Let me see what it looks like first," so temporary tattoos were a rarity. Thankfully though, Zeke was friends with Tori who worked in the tattoo parlor and she would often make temporary tattoos to get a feel for her designs.

"Don't go too crazy, Zeke." Four said eyeing him. "I know you."

His face fell. "Aw man, so no full body tattoos?"

"No."

"Fine," He said, smirking lightly. "So, why exactly are you helping this girl, Four? I mean, I knew you were odd but buddying up to a Factionless girl..."

"Leave him alone, Zeke." Shauna said, slapping his arm. "He has his reasons, and I'm fairly certain they're none of your business." She turned to Four and smiled. "Tris obviously is important to you, and if that's the case, she's important to us."

A wave of relief crashed over him, and for the first time in a long time, he was relaxed. He knew his friends wouldn't let him down. Now all that was left to do was tell Tris their plan was in motion. Ideas rolled around in his mind as Four tried to figure out a way to find her. He really didn't want to risk getting on the Train and seeking her out. There was always the possibility of getting caught, and if that happened, he would be no use to her at all. Shauna and Zeke would have all the supplies by the end of the week, so he had some time to think. Little did Four know...Tris was thinking too.


End file.
